Feeding mechanism for flat bed machines



Oct. 3, 1933. F. F. ZEIER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FLAT BED MACHINES Filed Feb. 14, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwmntoz Oct. 3, 1933. F. F. ZEIER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FLAT BED MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1931 06L 1933- F. F. ZEIER 1,929,299

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FLAT BED MACHINES Filed Feb. 14, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 3, 1933 I 1,929,239 v I FEEDING MECHANISM- FOR FLAT BED MACHINES Frederick F. Zeier, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, IlL', a cor poration of Illinois Application February 14, 1931. Serial iv gs 'ast's 19' Claims. (c1. 112-214') The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a feeding mechanism for sewing machines and more particularly to a puller feed Q associated with the main feed for aiding in the feeding of the material to and from the stitching mechanism. f

An object of the invention is to provide'a puller feed wherein the fabric engaging rolls are located in rear of and close to the stitching point, and wherein the lower feed roller is interinittently operated by devices which are in turn operated by the main actuating shaft beneath the work support.

A further object of the invention is to provide a puller feed of the above character wherein the operative feed roller is actuated by a rock shaft which is independent of the feed rocker which moves the main feed dog back and forth; A further object of the invention is to provide a feeding mechanism of the above type whereinthe main feed bar is located in rearof the stitching mechanism and is shaped so as to provide a space for the operation of the under feed roller between the forward and rear, ends of the main feed bar. i

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means for guiding the main presser bar and the presser bar carrying the upper feed roller wherein a common guiding member may be used for maintaining the presser foot and the forward roller in proper alignment. These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

on the feed line, the'looper being omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon the lined-4 of Fig. 2 on a reduced" scale, and showing theopcrating means for the lower feed roller.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Themachine embodying the invention includes a supporting bed carrying a work support and an overhanging arm in which the needle recipro 'cates. Cooperating with the needle beneath the work support is a looper. The material being stitched is fed across the work support by a main feeding mechanism which includes a feed .dog having back and forth,'and up anddown move= ments,'and also puller feed rollers, one of which is intermittently operated, and which engage the material directly in rear of the needle and within the limits of the work" support. The feed. bar carrying the main dog is shaped so as to provide a space in which the lower roller feed operates. This lower roller feed is mounted on a' shaft which is intermittently rotated. "The shaft is operated by a driving clutch which in turn is op erated by a rock frame that is in'dependent'of the feed rocker which moves the feed dog back and forth. This rock frame is oscillated'from an eccentric on the main actuating shaft which is located beneath the work support. Z

The main presser bar is provided with a collar carrying a guide lug which engages guide plates mounted on. the head. of the machine. The presser bar carrying the upper .feed roller'is likewise provided with a guiding lug which engages the guide plates. a Referring more in detail to the drawings: Q The machine embodying the invention includes a supporting bed 1, carrying'a work support 2.

Mounted on the bed is a standard 3 carrying the overhanging arm 4 at theouter end of which is I a needle head 5. The needle bar,6 is mounted for reciprocation inlthe needle head and carries needles 7, '7 with which loopers '8, 8 cooperate. The stitch forming mechanism is of any well known construction.

The material is held on the work support by a presser foot 9, which is mounted on the main presser bar 10. This main presser .bar is mount ed in" the needle head 5 and is. held depressed by a spring 11. Secured to the presser barflO'is a member 12 carrying a guiding lug 13. This guiding lug extends through a slot in the needle head and engages space guiding plates 14. This provides a means for preventing the presserbar from turning and holds the presser foot in proper alignment. relative to the line of feed. I

The material is fed-beneath the presser foot by means of a feed dog 15." The feed dog lSis carried by a feed bar 16 which is pi'voted atl'lto a feed rocker 13. The feed rocker is supported by a shaft 19, mounted foroscillation in support f ing lugs 20, 20, carried by the bed of the machine. The feed rocker 18 is operated by the usualcon' nectioir'to a crank on the outer actuating shaft 21. v Mounted on theshaft 21 isan' eccentric 22 with which" an" eccentric strap 23 cooperates.

The eccentricstrap 23 is pivoted at 24tojthe v .end of a main outer end of an arm 25 formed integral with the feed bar 16. This eccentric 22 causes the feed dog to move up and down while the feed rocker 18 moves the feed dog back and forth.

The feed bar 16 is formed with a downwardly extending portion 16a, a horizontal portion 16b,

and an upwardly extending portion 16c. This provides a space 26 in which the lower feed roller 27 is mounted. The work support is provided with an opening 28 so that the feed roller 27 may be placed beneath the work support andwill project through the opening 23 and thusmay engage the under face of thefabric. The feed roller 27 is fixed to a shaft 29.

Cooperating with the feed roller 2'7 is a feed roller 30mounted in a yoke bracket 31 carried" by a presser bar 32. The presser bar 32 is mounted in a bracket 33 which is secured to the needle head by screws 34 and 35. The bracket has spaced projecting lugs in which the presser bar 32 is mounted for vertical movement. A spring 36surrounding the presserb'ar. 32 bears against a collar 3'7 at its lower endfand against a 'shiftable sleeve 39 ,at its upper end. The presserbar'extends through this sleeveand the sleeve is provided with a knurled head 40 which provides the means for adjusting the sleeve 39 and thus increasing the tension on the spring 36. This spring yieldingly forces the roller 30 against the upper face of the fabric and thus holds the fabric firmly pressed against the lower feed roller 27. The collar 37 is provided with a guide lug 41, which extends between the guide plates 14 and this serves toprevent the presser bar 32 from turning and holds the feed roller 30 in proper alignment with the presser foot 9.

The lower feed roller 27 is intermittently rotated and this imparts an intermittent pulling feed to the fabric so that the puller feed rollers cooperate with the main feed in the proper feeding of the material to and from the stitching mechanism.

The shaft 29 is intermittently rotated by'mean's of: a clutch unit 42. The shaft 29 is journaled in a lug43 at the outer end thereofwhicjh lug is secured to one of the main supporting lugs carried by the bed on which the work support is mounted. The other end of the shaft 29 is journaled in a lug 44, carried by a bracket 45 which is, attached to the supporting bed 1. This clutch unit is similar to that shown in the patent to Long and Sliwa, 1,692,130, granted Now/. 29, 1928. A detailed, description thereof is not thought necessary. It "includes a braking portion 4.6 which is attached to the supporting lug by means of a screw 47. The operating portion of the clutch unit is indicated at 48. It is provided with a depending arm 49. A link is attached to said arm by means of abolt 51 passing through a bearing sleeve 52 locatedin the end of said link. The arm 49 has another threaded opening 53 in which the screw may be inserted and this provides one means for adjusting the throw which is imparted to the clutch unit by the driving devices therefor." The other end of the link 50 is secured to a' shiftablepivot bolt 54. carried by an arm 55 mounted on a shaft 60. The arm is provided with a slot 61, and by shifting the bolt 54 in the slot, another way is provided for varying the throw imparted to the clutch unit. The shaftGO ismount- .edin suitable bearing lugs 62, 62, carried by the bed 1 of the machine. On'the opposite end'of the shaft from the arm 55 is a collar 63 which is clamped to the shaft. This collar carries an arm 64 provided with a ball studat' its upper end.

' operating shaft 21.

"dog.

An eccentric strap 66 is attached to the ball stud and cooperates with an eccentric on the main As the shaft 21 rotates, it will impart a rocking movement to the rock frame constituted by the arms 55 and 64 and the shaft 60 on which they are mounted. Thus it is that the clutch unit imparts an intermittent rotation to the shaft 29. The rock frame is independent of the rock shaft which actuates the main feed dog; and the puller feed is actuated by a conmotion to the main shaft which is independent of the main feed. By adjusting the link 50, and

its connections to either the arm 55 or the arm 49, the extent of movement imparted to the timing of the feed relative to the actuation of the main feed dog, as the position of the eccentric cooperating with the strap 66 is not in any way varied.

From the above, it will be. apparent that a puller feeding mechanism has been provided wherein the puller rollers are located close to andin rear of the stitching mechanism and within the limits, of the work support. The puller rollers are disposed between the main feed dog and the main feed rocker and the main feed bar is shaped so .as to provide the operating space necessary for the lower feed roller. This lower feed roller is supported in bearings carried bythe bed of the machinejandit is operated by a very simple arrangement of parts which may be readi 1y adjusted for synchronizing the feed movements of the puller rollers with the main feed ,It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the. spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 1' v V Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination of a supporting bed, a work support carried thereby, a mainfeeding mechanism including a feed dog, a feed bar carrying said dog, a feed rocker in rear of the stitching point to which said feed bar is connected, said work support having an opening therethrough in rear of the stitching point, said feed bar having intermediate its ends a depressed portion forming a space beneath said opening, ashaft located beneath the work support, a feed roller carried by the shaft and disposed in said space above the feed bar and operating through said opening to engage the material on the work support, and a presser roller located above the work support and cooperating with the feed roller.

f 2. In a sewing machine, the combination of a supporting bed, a Work support. carried thereby and having an opening therethrou'gh in rear of the stitching point, a main actuating shaft beneath the work support, a rock frame mounted on the bed atthe rear side of the work support,

the stitching point, a main feeding rriechanism' including a feed dog, a feed bar carrying said dog, a feed rocker in rear of the stitching point to which said feed bar is connected, a main shaft beneath the work support, means operated from said main shaft for oscillating the feed rocker, an auxiliary shaft located beneath the work support and between the feed rocker and the main actuating shaft, a feed roller carried by said auxiliary shaft and operatingthrough said opening to engage the material on the work support, and means independent of the feed rocker and operated by the main actuating shaft for intermittently rotating said auxiliary shaft.

4. In a sewing machine, the combination of a supporting bed, a work support carried thereby and having an opening. therethrough in rear of the stitching point, a main feeding mechanism including a feed dog, a feed bar carrying said feed dog, a feed rocker in rear of the stitching point to which said feed bar is connected, a main shaft beneath the work support, means operated from said main shaft for oscillating the feed rocker, an auxiliary shaft located beneath the work support and between the feed rocker and the main actuating shaft, a feed roller carried by said auxiliary shaft and operating through said openingto engage the material on the work support, a rock frame in rear of the auxiliary supporting bed, a work support carried thereby,

a main feeding mechanism including a feed dog,

a feed bar carrying the feed dog, a feed rockerin rear of the stitching point to which the feed bar is connected, said work support having an opening therethrough in rear ofthe stitching point, said feed bar having intermediate its ends a depressed portion forming a space beneath the opening, a feed roller located in said space above the feed bar and operating through said opening to engage the material on the work support, and

means for intermittently rotating said feed roller.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination of a supporting bed, a work support carried thereby, a main feeding mechanism including a feed dog,

a feed bar carrying the feed dog, a feed rocker in rear of the stitching point to which the feed bar is connected, said work support having an opening therethrough in rear of the stitching point, said feed bar. having intermediate its ends a depressed portion forming a space beneath the opening, a feed roller located in said-space above the feed bar and operating through said opening to engage the material on the work support, means for intermittently rotating said feed roller, a presser roller located above the work support and cooperating with the feed roller, and yielding means for supporting said presser roller.

ILIn a sewing machine, the combination of a supporting bed, a worksupport carried thereby, a main feeding mechanism including a feed dog,

a feed bar carrying the feed dog, a feed rocker in rear of the stitching point to which the feed bar isconnected, said work support having an opening therethrough in rear of the stitching point, said feed bar having intermediate its ends a depressed portion forming a space beneath the a main feeding mechanism includinga feed dog,

a feed bar carrying the feed dog,- a feed rocker in rear of the stitching point to which the feed bar is connected, said work support having an opening therethrough in rear of the stitching point, said feed bar having intermediate its ends a depressed portion forming a space beneath the opening, a feed roller located in said space above the feed bar and operating throughsaid'open:

ing to engage the material on the work support, a shaft on which said feed roller is mounted, a

clutch unit carried by said shaft for' intermittent 1y rotating the same, said clutch'unit having a depending operating arm, a "rock frame mounted on the bed independently of the feed rocker and having a slotted arm, a link connecting the slotted arm to the depending operating arm of the clutch unit, and means for oscillating'said rock frame. a

9. In a sewing machine, the combination of a supporting bed, a work support carried thereby, a shaft mountedbeneath the work support, a feed roller mounted on said shaft,a clutch unit the same, said. clutch unit having adependently carried by said shaft for intermittently rotating operating slottedarm, a rock frame mounted beneath the work support in rear of said shaft, a slotted arm carried by said rock frame, a link having an adjustable connection at one end thereof to the slotted arm of the rock frame, and means for oscillating said'rock frame.

FREDERICK ZEIER, 

